Contracts - new features ideas

I've just seen an excellent post about the transfer market and styles of play and it reminded me of two specific areas that I'd like to see added to in the game. This one is about Contracts, my other one is about Managerial Expectations (in another thread). Oh, and before anyone points me in the direction of the Wishlist Thread, that's for "list" ideas - this is about a whole specific topic.

Currently, I think contracts are a bit simplistic, and there are a few additions I'd like to see.

Player contracts:

Win bonuses (per game) - as far as I'm aware (though I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong), players can earn bonuses if they win a game. I'd like to see this added to the game. I should imagine there's a standard amount of minutes per game the player has to play in to get their win bonus (e.g. 60 minutes), that is the same for most players, but I'd like the ability to add this.

Loyalty bonuses - I read with interest that Tomas Gravesen doesn't want to leave Celtic, even though he's been told he's not part of Gordon Strachan's plans, because he doesn't want to lose his loyalty bonus. I like this idea, and I'd like this to be in the game.

Image rights - I don't want to have any control over this, because I can't imagine that managers have much say in this - I'd have thought it was decided by the board - but it's clearly going to impact on the club's finances, so I'd like to see what a player's image rights were.

A bigger club/favourite club clause - we've seen these before, I think Richard Wright had one at Ipswich where if Arsenal came in and offered a minimum fee, Ipswich had to accept the bid. Arsenal did come in, Ipswich accepted and off Wrighty went to become, er understudy to old *****y. Anyway, I'd quite like some FM players to request this. "Bigger club" is a bit more tricky to define but I'd say anyone who finished in the top half of the division above last season (or in the top four if you're already in the top division) would qualify.

"Top earner" clause - I'm not sure if these exist IRL, so I'm not adamant about this, but if they do exist, then it'll be an idea to have players demand that they are always the top earner. Then, if someone else signs on a higher wage, you can have a news item saying that X Player's wages have increased as a result.

Loan Contracts:

I'd like to have someone sign with a view to a permanent contract. I know this kind of is already in the game, but it's not quite the same. You'll have players who will join you on loan, but won't want to join you permanently. I'd like to see this in the game, and also, when looking for a player on loan, I'd like to have the option to tell the player (and the club) what the squad status of the player will be. If I only want the player on backup, I'm going to find it harder to convince a loaning club to loan him to me, however, if the club just wants to get the player off their wage bill, and I'm paying 100% of their wages for a backup player, then the club won't care what the squad status is. And so on.

Squad Status:

I've not detected any consequences to signing a player as a first teamer, and then not playing him, other than the player gets a bit narked. I'd like to see a few more consequences, so the player goes to the media and complains. Eventually, after this has happened a few times, I'd like to see a player you're trying to sign say "Is worried about GillsMan's reputation for telling the truth" or something similar in his happiness field. This may effect his decision to sign, unless he's a mercenary and just wants the money of course!

Manager Contracts:

In my career game, I've managed PSV, Lyon, Porto, Chelsea, NY Red Bulls, Arsenal and Milan. I left Chelsea to manage, er, Gillingham in League Two. I'm also England manager. I've won league titles and Champions League. So why, when I asked for a four year contract, instead of two, on a measly £1700 a month, did Gillingham refuse? Come on - be realistic here! It's like the equivalent of Oldham saying "sorry Sir Alex Ferguson, we only want you for two years, not four, even though we're paying you peanuts". Not the best example, admittedly, because he's old, but you get the point.

Anyway, that's enough from me. I'd be grateful for your thoughts, both on my ideas and, more importantly, with any ideas of your own! Cheers!

I like what you say about loan contracts! I was trying to sign a loan listed player a while back and offered my usual 0% of the wages (i'm in the bss so money is a big problem for me)... the club rejected the loan bid stating the amount i'd contribute wasn't enough. I check the players wages and, lo and behold, he's on a whoping 0 pounds per week! I change my bid to 100% percent wages (100% of nothing is still nothing) and they accept (the player didn't though, grr).

I also had a team ask me for a player on loan and they can state what their role will be... I've often wondered why I can't do the same

I like the point about squad status.

Philkemp's point about wages is a good one. It hasn't happened to me, but I can understand how it could be annoying!

i like you ideas they could be take the game in a more interesting level

i don't mind a little extra options for us here and there but on the other hand i don't wan't the game to became an EA product

""Bigger club" is a bit more tricky to define but I'd say anyone who finished in the top half of the division above last season (or in the top four if you're already in the top division) would qualify"

Michael Owen had a clause in place for two years only that meant he could leave Newcastle for a Champions League club if they offered £xx Million. Just a list consisting of certain competitions would suffice, eg, Premier League, Uefa Cup, Champions League, Serie A.

RE: The Win Bonus.

It was in the game (possibly as late as 07) but i recall on the release of 08 they stated that it had been removed on the advice of agents. They basically said that win bonuses were paid collectively to the team and not individually. They are now incorporated in the game via the league/cup team bonuses, i believe.

For manager contracts I'd also like to see yearly wage rise clauses included as an option - it would make a rolling contract a more attractive proposal.

While not strictly a contract item - for players going out on loan I would like to be able to see it's for them to gain competitive match experience - been crying out for this for years but it still hasn't made it in yet.

I'd love a feature in the transfer offer where an option would appear to loan player back to club for a season, it is often used IRL

Oh I forgot one:

Length of contract: This is particularly the case for lower league clubs, but I'd like the option to give certain players short contracts, either a rolling monthly contract, a one month contract, a contract that only last a couple of months, things like that. Currently, it seems you can only sign them until the end of the season. I should be able to sign them for any length of time.

I like your ideas about contracts, except for the player contracts. The only one I find worth having in the game would be the 'Bigger club' one, since I've seen that clause a several times by now. Not always at players, but also at managers.

For instance, Louis van Gaal had a clause in his contract that he was allowed to quit if a European nation wanted him as national manager. And I also remember that Giovanni van Bronckhorst used to have a clause at his old club which would allow him to move to Feyenoord if they would offer him a first team position + a particular transfer offer of 1.5 million or higher. Since that was his favorite club.

I'm not sure if this is possible in the game (although I can imagine the favorite club-part being linked in a contract clause), but it certainly would make the transfer world a little livelier.

But I do agree on the length of contract :-)

@gavOh, that's a good one. I would indeed like to see why a player goes on loan. Which possibly has impact on his mood as well.

I know its not a contract clause, but it could be included in some way. Anyway my idea is that if your over/very close to your wage budget limit, you could ask a player to take a wage cut, say Nicky Butt at Newcastle

A way to put it in a contract would be some sort of emergency wage drop clause, something like that, dont think anything like it excists IRL though

International Duty release clause? does it exist? if a player get called for the national team....the manager cant say NO

Manager arent allowed to say no IRL anyway if its a FIFA organised friendly date, but we still have the option in game

what i don't understand is when players get over about 31 and only ask for 2 season contracts they never take up my 3,4 or 5 year offers. isn't this what all old players want?

Just to add to the Player Contracts part.........................

Non European qualification release clause

Rafael van der Vaart has recently moved to Real Madrid for €15million, (around £12million). I, like many of you Im sure, were asking "why such a cheap fee?" Well it was because he had a clause in his Hamburg contract saying that if the club failed to qualify for this seasons Champions League then he could go for the above fee. This kind of thing should be in FM.

Champions League Club Clause

Also, when Craig Bellamy joined Blackburn in 2005 from Newcastle for £6million, he had a clause in his contract that stated if after his first season with Blackburn any Champions League club came in with an off of £6.5million, then he would be allwed to discuss terms with that club.

After just one season with Blackburn, Liverpool came in with £6.5million for Bellamy, and off he went to the Merseyside. Again, this should be in FM.

Just thought Id add my bit to this discussion!!

what i don't understand is when players get over about 31 and only ask for 2 season contracts they never take up my 3,4 or 5 year offers. isn't this what all old players want?

I think thats realistic as after that 2 year contract, they could retire at any point really, so being tied down to a 5 year contract isnt in the clubs or his best interest

IRL Wenger only offers 1 year contracts to players over 30

Just to add to the Player Contracts part.........................

Non European qualification release clause

Rafael van der Vaart has recently moved to Real Madrid for €15million, (around £12million). I, like many of you Im sure, were asking "why such a cheap fee?" Well it was because he had a clause in his Hamburg contract saying that if the club failed to qualify for this seasons Champions League then he could go for the above fee. This kind of thing should be in FM.

Champions League Club Clause

Also, when Craig Bellamy joined Blackburn in 2005 from Newcastle for £6million, he had a clause in his contract that stated if after his first season with Blackburn any Champions League club came in with an off of £6.5million, then he would be allwed to discuss terms with that club.

After just one season with Blackburn, Liverpool came in with £6.5million for Bellamy, and off he went to the Merseyside. Again, this should be in FM.

Just thought Id add my bit to this discussion!!

I like both of these ideas, and they tie in with my original point that there should be more complex/varied clauses in the game. If possible, that is!

While we're on the topic - in the U.S., contracts typically state the players' salary for each season explicitly. E.g., instead of saying "5M per-annum and a 10% pay rise", the contract might be: 5M for the 2007/08 season, 5.5M for 2008/09, 6.5M for 2009/10, and 10M for 2010/11. There are also the concept of "buy-out" clauses - for example, the club might be able to opt out of that final year by paying the player 3M and releasing him on a free. Alternately, the player might have a 5M minimum-fee release clause that doesn't kick in until the end of the 2009/10 season .. essentially, a buy-out for the player.

In theory a player could have any clause he wanted in his contract as long as the club agrees to it.

Having more clauses would add more realism to the game but it would be pretty annoying if half your team left for peanuts because the previous manager gave them all the clauses they wanted!

I like both of these ideas, and they tie in with my original point that there should be more complex/varied clauses in the game. If possible, that is!

I think there should be more types of clauses in players and managers contracts that reflect those used in real life.

In Spain, I believe it's mandatory to include a buy out clause in a player's contract - I don't know if this is already in the game (I haven't managed in Spain for a while).

In Spain, I believe it's mandatory to include a buy out clause in a player's contract - I don't know if this is already in the game (I haven't managed in Spain for a while).

Aye it is in the game, all Spanish players have to have a minimum fee release clause

like these ideas, especially the loans/squad status/favourite club clauses!

Aye it is in the game, all Spanish players have to have a minimum fee release clause

Albeit they are at most times unreachable (i.e. like £200m etc)

Albeit they are at most times unreachable (i.e. like £200m etc)

As it is in most cases in real life.

As it is in most cases in real life.

Aye, even relatively average players can have a buy out of up to £60m.